David Philip Hefti’s CD release of „The Snow Queen“ and Composer in Residence of CAMERATA BERN (September 2020)
David Philip Hefti will open the season as Composer in Residence at CAMERATA BERN on September 26th and on November 27th his music theater “The Snow Queen” will be released on CD (NEOS).Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Artistic Partner of CAMERATA BERN, will conduct from the violin the world premiere of Hefti’s Double Concerto for violin, clarinet, and string orchestra, with Reto Bieri on clarinet. As Composer in Residence at CAMERATA BERN, Hefti built a chamber music program as well as a single work will be played. A composer’s colloquium will be held at the Hochschule der Künste Bern (information here). Patricia Kopatchinskaja about David Philip Hefti: “I heard the Wunderhorn-Music by David Philip Hefti and immediately became aware of this composer. They were colorful stories, cleverly instrumented and told. That we are allowed to premiere his new piece with CAMERATA BERN and the fabulous Reto Bieri is a great gift, that I am looking forward to next season.”
overview of the concert on September 26:
26. September Bern, Dampfzentrale Bern Composer in Residence
Musicians of CAMERATA BERN
Alder: Kompositionen und Bearbeitungen von traditionellen Volksmusikstücken
Hefti: Guggisberg-Variationen – Streichquartett Nr. 2
Lully: Tänze azs Le Bourgeois gentilhomme
Kodály: Marosszéker Tänze arr. Sándor Veress
Bartók: Mückentanz arr. Noldi Adler
From November 13, 2020 Mojca Erdmann can be heard on CD (NEOS) in the title role of Hefti’s second music theater “The Snow Queen”. She says: “For all its complexity, David Philip Hefti’s “Snow Queen” is a sensual music that touches directly. The title part was composed to fit my body so that I can unfold practically all facets of my voice, not to mention the enormous ambience. I enjoyed singing this lyrical part very much and I hope for many more performances!”
The world premiere took place in November 2018 with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich under the baton of the composer himself, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich. In addition to Erdmann as Snow Queen, the actress Delia Mayer, known from the television series Tatort (Switzerland), as narrator/Gerda and the actor Max Simonischek as Kay are involved as soloists.
NEOS will also release the chamber music CD “light & shade” in spring 2021 with string quartets (partly with soloists), such as “Danse interstellaire” for bassett clarinet and string quartet or the 5th string quartet “Concubia nocte” by Hefti, recorded with the Amaryllis Quartet.
Further exciting works will be completed in the coming season. Like his latest work “Four Moments” for flute and string orchestra, which was written for the flautist Philipp Jundt.